


Tidepools

by Jerevinan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, IgNoct, M/M, Romance, Vacation, child via surrogacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 15:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13010379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jerevinan/pseuds/Jerevinan
Summary: Noctis plans out a special morning for his husband while they're on vacation at Cape Caem.Written for Ignis Fluff week, for the prompt "Best Vacation Ever"Two versions were written. Chapter one is Ignis/Noctis, and chapter two is the same story, but has Ignis/Noctis with a child.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a oneshot. If the inclusion of Victor, who is originally from my ghost!dad ignoct fic, [here we are together](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11414946), bothers you, then you can read the first chapter and not the second. I didn't want to upload the same story twice.

Noctis made the biggest sacrifice that morning: he woke up before Ignis. 

He couldn’t have done it alone. Not in a million years, not without a thousand alarm clocks going off at once. And since he didn’t want to wake Ignis and ruin the surprise, he recruited help from Gladiolus. 

“Rise and shine, princess.”

Noctis drew the covers over his head in response, but one whisper from Gladio had him scrambling to his feet: “Tidepools.”

Noctis stumbled into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth—anything to help him feel fresh and awake. He wanted that morning to be _perfect_.

The wind howled against the battered siding of the house. Noctis pulled a hoodie over his head in case he needed it. The days usually grew warm with a comfortable breeze, but late nights and mornings were often chilly. He cursed the twin beds in his father’s vacation house for not being large enough to fit two grown men. All he wanted to do was snuggle against his husband during the cold nights. 

Noctis finished getting ready and leaned in close to Ignis’ face as he slept.

“Specs,” he whispered. When his husband didn’t answer, Noctis shook his shoulder gently. Ignis stirred. “Hey, Ignis. Wake up.”

Ignis’ eyelids fluttered open when Noctis kissed the tip of his nose. 

“Mm, I could get used to waking up every morning to this.” 

“Don’t get used to it.” Noctis smiled as he pushed off the mattress. “I’ll fix breakfast.”

“Oh dear. Now I’d better hurry before you destroy the kitchen…” Ignis rubbed sleep out of his eyes and patted his fingertips against the bedside table until he found his glasses.

Breakfast consisted of toast, buttered and topped with a dollop of Iris’ homemade ulwaat berry jam. Noctis let out a hiss as he pinched the corner of the bread when removing it from the toaster. He nursed the light burns in the cool jam before sucking on his fingertips. The taste of the sweet berries made him forget his minor wounds. 

He heard Ignis’ light footsteps on the stairs and glanced up.

“Did you make coffee?” 

“No.” Noctis had no idea how to make decent coffee—how to get it dark the way Ignis liked it, to reach the right temperature and measurement of grounds. “Gladio made a pot.”

“Why are you up so early?” asked Ignis as they sat down to eat.

“Surprise,” said Noctis, trying to hide his grin behind his toast.

Ignis hummed in response and bit into his breakfast. They ate in blissful silence, toes wriggling at each other’s beneath the table. The perfect start to a beautiful day. 

“No fishing gear?” asked Ignis as they pulled on their shoes. He snaked an arm around Noctis’ waist, pulling them back-to-chest, and used his free hand to tilt Noctis’ chin upwards. He planted a kiss on his forehead. “What do you have planned?”

“Don’t think you can get it out of me so easily.”

Ignis hugged Noctis closer, resting his head on his shoulder. “I’m just flattered that you would give up a morning of fishing for me.”

“I give you plenty of mornings.”

“Yes, when we both have to be up. This is a vacation. We can stay in as late as we wish.”

Noctis snagged Ignis’ hand and tugged him out the door. The brisk sea air stung against his cheeks, and despite his initial tiredness, it renewed his energy. A sunny day with not too many clouds and a strong wind greeted them. 

They took the trail down to the lot and followed another to the water. The tide had lowered, but the rocky shores were filled with dozens of pockets for ocean life to be swept inside. Noctis knelt beside one of the pools and twirled the water with his finger. Starfish mingled against the barnacle-encrusted rocks. 

“How beautiful,” said Ignis.

“I know, right? Look at the color of this octopus!” Noctis dipped his hand in and scooped out a bright red cephalopod. It used its tentacles to walk along his palm, and he tilted his fingers downward to allow it to walk back into the water. “That tickles.”

Noctis led his husband further down the shore, as close to the water’s edge as they could safely walk. The terrain wasn’t steady, and a few times, both of them lost their footing and crashed into each other’s embrace. 

Noctis pointed out all the starfish he saw, occasionally feeling along the bumps along their backs. 

“It’s a constellation of sea life,” said Ignis.

“What constellations would they make?”

“Perhaps they’ll tell the story of this date. I hope it includes the part where you woke up earlier than me.” Ignis smiled, tracing hearts with his finger into Noctis’ palm. 

“Is that really your favorite part?”

“Perhaps.”

“Time to do something about.” Noctis shuffled closer, taking care on the uneven terrain. He leaned in on his tip toes and planted a kiss on Ignis’ lips. “How about something more like that?”

“I daresay if you try that again, you’ll lose balance and knock us both into a tidepool.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Barnacles are sharp, as are these jagged rocks. I suggest we find safer ground and get a proper kiss. That was merely a tease.”

Noctis’ cheeks warmed against the brisk wind that buffeted them, and he leaned into Ignis with his head dipped down. “Guess we could make our way to higher land.”

Ignis intertwined their fingers, and together they helped one another over the rough rocks. They could have walked back without the assistance, but where was the fun in that? Where was the intimacy, the closeness? No way would Noctis pass up a chance to touch his husband. They had been married a few years, but Noctis had known Ignis almost his entire life, and every day he only seemed to love him more and look for excuses to be closer to him.

They made their way up to higher land. The wind carried with it a taste and smell of brine, but as they found an outcropping of rocks and nestled in among them, Noctis leaned into the scent of Ignis’ cologne. He lowered his lips to Ignis’ soft neck and let them linger against the skin. His eyes closed to pause and drink in that moment.

The sun raised higher in the sky, brightening everything around them in its glow. Its warmth carried everywhere except to the shade, but Noctis felt heat rise in his body from something else as Ignis returned his soft kisses and wove his fingers through Noctis’ hair. Noctis enjoyed his husband’s embrace as they watched the ocean waves from their platform.

Noctis didn’t think his heart could take more happiness than he felt in that moment, knowing that he would grow old with the man beside him. 

“I don’t think it can get better than this,” said Ignis, as if agreeing with Noctis’ thoughts. “I’m always at my best when I’m beside you.” He squeezed Noctis closer. “Thank you, Noct, for doing all this for me. I’ll cherish this memory forever.”

“Same here. I’m glad I got up early for this.”

“I am, too.” Ignis leaned in and rewarded Noctis with a kiss, and for a moment, Noct felt the world fade away as if nothing else mattered in that moment but the two of them. Whether by the stars in the sky, or the starfish in the sea, the story mapped out for them would always put them together.


	2. Victor Version

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same story, a little different and with Victor, the son I keep giving these two because...why not? Optional to skip if you would prefer!

Noctis made the biggest sacrifice that morning: he woke up before Ignis and Victor.

He couldn’t have done it alone. Not in a million years, not without a thousand alarm clocks going off at once. Not without his excited son bouncing on the bed. And since he didn’t want to wake Ignis or Victor and ruin the surprise, he recruited help from Gladiolus. 

“Rise and shine, princess.”

Noctis drew the covers over his head in response, but one whisper from Gladiolus had him scrambling to his feet: “Tidepools.”

Noctis stumbled into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth—anything to help him feel fresh and awake. He wanted that morning to be _perfect_.

The wind howled against the battered siding of the house. Noctis pulled a hoodie over his head in case he needed it. The days usually grew warm with a comfortable breeze, but late nights and mornings were often chilly. He cursed the twin beds in his father’s vacation house for not being large enough to fit two grown men. He was a little surprised that Ignis had managed to fit Victor onto his bed when the toddler insisted on sleeping with his daddy, but somehow the two had made it work. 

Noctis was jealous of them for being able to share a bed and keep warmer that night, even more so because his son had chosen Ignis over him. Even if this did work out in favor of his coming surprise.

The two curled up together, Victor snuggling in his father’s embrace. Noctis leaned in toward Ignis.

“Specs,” he whispered. When his boyfriend didn’t answer, Noctis shook his shoulder gently. Ignis stirred. “Hey, Ignis. Wake up.”

Ignis’ eyelids fluttered open when Noctis leaned into the bed and kissed the tip of his nose. 

“Mm, I could get used to waking up every morning to this.” 

“Don’t get used to it.” Noctis smiled as he pushed off the mattress. “I’ll fix breakfast.”

“Oh dear. Now I’d better hurry before you destroy the kitchen…” Ignis rubbed sleep out of his eyes and patted his fingertips against the bedside table until he found his glasses. 

“Get Victor up, would you?”

“Of course.”

Breakfast consisted of toast, buttered and topped with a dollop of Iris’ homemade ulwaat berry jam. Noctis let out a hiss as he pinched the corner of the bread when removing it from the toaster. He nursed the light burns in the cool jam before sucking on his fingertips. The taste of the sweet berries made him forget his minor wounds. He looked up when he heard his husband’s light footsteps on the stairs. Inside Ignis’ arms, Victor looked close to falling asleep again.

“Did you make coffee?” 

“No.” Noctis had no idea how to make decent coffee—how to get it dark the way Ignis liked it, to reach the right temperature and measurement of grounds. “Gladio made a pot.” He took out a pitcher from the fridge. “Orange juice, Vicky?” 

“Juice!” The boy seemed to come to life instantly. Sweet-toothed, just like his papa. Noctis handed the boy a sippy cup as soon as Ignis set him down in a chair. 

“Why are you up so early?” asked Ignis as they sat down to eat.

“Surprise,” said Noctis, trying to hide his grin behind his toast.

Ignis hummed in response and bit into his breakfast. They ate mostly in silence, toes wriggling at each other’s beneath the table. Victor made an absolute mess of his pajamas and himself with his ulwaat jam. He let out little whines whenever Ignis would dampen a napkin with a quick lick and dab at the smudges on Victor’s face. Every time, it made Noctis laugh. The perfect start to a fun day. 

“No fishing gear?” asked Ignis as he helped Victor into his shoes. Once he secured their son in a jacket and cap, Ignis snaked an arm around Noctis’ waist, pulling them back-to-chest, and used his free hand to tilt Noctis’ chin upwards. He planted a kiss on his forehead. “What do you have planned?”

“Don’t think you can get it out of me so easily.”

Ignis hugged Noctis closer, resting his head on his shoulder. “I’m just flattered that you would give up a morning of fishing for us.”

“I give you plenty of mornings.”

“Yes, when we both have to be up or Victor forces you out of bed. This is a vacation. We can stay in as late as we wish until our son wakes up.”

“Which is still before dawn,” pointed out Noctis. 

Noctis cupped a hand around one of Victor’s, and Ignis took the other as they led him out the door, swinging him down each step as the boy giggled in delight. The brisk sea air stung against Noctis’ cheeks, and despite his initial tiredness, it renewed his energy. A sunny day with not too many clouds and a strong wind greeted them. 

They took the trail down to the lot and followed another to the water. The tide had lowered, but the rocky shores were filled with dozens of pockets for ocean life to be swept inside. Noctis knelt beside one of the pools and twirled the water with his finger. Starfish mingled against the barnacle-encrusted rocks. 

“How beautiful,” said Ignis. “See that, Victor?”

“Star!” cried Victor jubilantly, and if not for his father’s hold on him, he would have dived straight into the water as he reached out for it. He let out a frustrated grunt and squirmed as Noctis secured him in place.

“I know, right? Look at the color of this octopus!” Noctis dipped his hand in and scooped out a bright red cephalopod. He kept it at enough distance to avoid his son’s prodding fingers. It used its tentacles to walk along his palm, and he tilted his fingers downward to allow it to walk back into the water. “That tickles.”

Noctis led his family further down the shore, as close to the water’s edge as they could safely walk. The terrain wasn’t even, but they took it slow together, half-walking and half-swinging their son across the dips and pools. 

Noctis pointed out all the starfish, informing Victor of their colors in hopes the little boy would learn more words on this morning adventure.

“It’s a constellation of sea life,” said Ignis.

“What constellations would they make?”

“Perhaps they’ll tell the story of two princes and their son. I hope it includes the part where you woke up earlier than me and Victor.” Ignis smiled, tracing hearts with his finger into Noctis’ palm. 

“Is that really your favorite part?”

“I love you, Noct, so forgive me that I’m about to choose our son over yo—” Noctis cut him off with a kiss.

“It’s stuff like that that makes me love you even more,” admitted Noctis. “Hate to break it to you, but Vicky’s pretty special.” He lifted his son into his arms and snuggled nose-to-nose with Victor. The boy giggled and patted at Noctis’ cheeks with his hands. 

“Papa!” 

Ignis leaned in and kissed their son’s cheek. “I’m fond of him, too.”

“More than fond. You spoil him.”

“Not as much as you.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Noctis wouldn’t have wanted it any other way—he loved having a child, and someday, he hoped to find the opportunity to have another. Surrogacy was tricky, expensive business, but being the prince of Lucis had some perks. While the monarchy had long been dissolved, and the royal family were treated more like celebrities, it meant that he had connections and money. And a lot of women were always happy to carry a child for the prince and his husband. 

Victor had been one such blessing, but it wasn’t yet time to consider another child. Noctis sometimes thought they had their hands more than full when Victor threw tantrums or got sick. But the good moments made up for the unpleasant aspects of parenthood, especially when Noctis and Ignis received help from friends and family.

If Victor happened to be their only child, Noctis didn’t mind that, either. He leaned against his husband and watched the waves roll over the rocks, leaving trails of foam along the jagged edges. The sea breeze buffeted his face, and he tugged the hood of his son’s sweater over the child’s head to keep him from catching cold.

“We ought to head back,” said Ignis, and he took Noctis’ hands to lead him back up the trail to the vacation house. “Wouldn’t want any of us getting sick.”

Noctis clutched his hand and grinned into his son’s shoulder as he held him tight. By the sea and stars, he couldn’t have had it any better in life, and he had Ignis and Victor to thank for it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
